Peanut Butter or Sunflower Butter?

            I discovered sunflower butter a few years ago while preparing for a bike trip with my friend Mary Ann who is allergic to many protein rich foods – peanuts, eggs and soy – just to name a few. Since we were planning on biking across the country, we would need protein to keep our muscles in an anabolic state (building muscle as opposed to in a protein deficit) on this trip. We also needed a food that would not easily go bad in our bike bags in the midst of the summer heat. My discovery: sunflower butter. I remember at the time thinking that sunflower butter was even better than peanut butter – creamier, smoother, and higher in monounsaturated fats (the “good” fats). Since the trip, I had not directly compared the nutrition labels of sunflower butter and peanut butter, but this week, I thought it might be nice to take a look. I used the USDA nutrient database for the following nutrition information. I figured out the %DV using the charts from Jean Inman’s RD Exam Review Book. Thanks Jean!

            Below is a nice little nutrition facts panel that I designed so you can compare the nutrients in peanut butter and sunflower butter directly. I looked at four key macronutrient measures (total fat, monounsaturated fat, fiber and sugar) and compared all of the micronutrients for discrepancies. The food with the higher content of the “good nutrient” is colored in green, if it has less of the “good nutrient” it is colored in red (“bad” nutrients tended to about equal in these foods – see comments at end of article). Yellow is an indicator that the nutrition is almost equal. 

Peanut Butter (smooth, without salt added)		Sunflower Butter (smooth, without salt added)
Serving Size	2 Tablespoons	Serving Size	2 Tablespoons
Calories	188	Calories	197
Total Fat	16 g	Total Fat	18 g
Saturated Fat	3 g	Saturated Fat	2 g
Monounsaturated Fat	8 g	Monounsaturated Fat	13 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	4 g	Polyunsaturated Fat	3 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	Cholesterol	0 g
Sodium	5 mg	Sodium	1 mg
Carbohydrate	6 g	Carbohydrate	8 g
Fiber	2 g	Fiber	2 g
Sugar	3 g	Sugar	3 g
Protein	8 g	Protein	6 g
Calcium	1%	Calcium	2%
Iron	10%	Iron	10%
Magnesium	15%	Magnesium	31%
Phosphorus	16%	Phosphorus	30%
Potassium	4%	Potassium	4%
Zinc	10%	Zinc	25%
Vitamin C	0%	Vitamin C	1%
Niacin	29%	Niacin	14%
Folate	6%	Folate	19%
Vitamin E	20%	Vitamin E	0%

            In conclusion, sunflower butter is indeed higher in monounsaturated fats and is about the same in total fats than peanut butter and so is a healthier option for “healthy” fats. It’s also about the same in protein, sugar and fiber. As for vitamins and minerals, sunflower butter is slightly more nutrient rich, but peanut butter is still a good source of healthy fats and protein!

            SUNFLOWER BUTTER WINS BY A NOSE!!!!